IMPLEMENTED 2nd JANUARY 2004
HUMAN RESOURCES
RECRUITMENT AND
SELECTION
STANDARDS
INDEX
Page
The purpose of these standards………………………………………………3
The Council's standards………………………………………………………….3
Redeployment……………………………………………………………………….4
Appendix 1
Appendix…Policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders…………………5
Recruitment & Selection Standards - January 2004
1.
THE PURPOSE OF THESE STANDARDS
The Council aims to promote positively the Council as an employer
and attract and select the best people for our jobs, so as to build a
quality workforce which reflects the community we serve.
These standards are intended to implement that aim. They are
addressed to elected members of the authority, managers and
Human Resources staff. They will ensure that recruitment and
selection methods meet legal requirements, comply with the
Council’s equal opportunities policy and incorporate best practice.
These standards apply to the recruitment of permanent and all
forms of temporary staff, including appointments to pools of
approved casual workers.
2.
THE COUNCIL’S STANDARDS
During the recruitment process you should:
• promote a positive image of the Council as an employer
• ensure that all stages of the recruitment process are dealt with
2
promptly and effectively
• ensure that you have the authority to appoint, and that you are
fully aware of any special requirements which pertain
(committee involvement, ‘politically restricted’, need for
declaration of interests etc.)
• ensure that a post has a current (job evaluated) job description
and person specification
• consider whether full-time posts can be held by part-timers or
offered on a flexible working basis
• use the Corporate style for external recruitment advertising;
base copy on the job description and person specification;
choose advertising media which reflect the target population(s)
• advertise internally via the vacancy list
• provide candidates with a standard application pack
• ensure that there is no unnecessary restriction on who can apply
for jobs e.g. ensure suitable provision is made for applicants
with a disability and that reasonable adjustments have been
made where appropriate
• ensure that all personal data that is collected during the
recruitment and selection process is clearly justified for making
fair decisions, and not excessive in relation to that purpose
• keep (on a secure basis, prior to shredding)
all records of
all
applicants for at least six months after the selection decision has
been made
• take all reasonable care with the references you give
• obtain a disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau for all
appointments to posts that are exempt from the Rehabilitation
of Offenders Act
Recruitment & Selection Standards - January 2004
• only make a job offer on a conditional basis until all the required
checks (including references) are satisfactorily completed
• make all appointments using the Council’s standard terms and
conditions of appointment
• seek advice from your Directorate Human Resources if you wish
to withdraw an offer.
During the selection process you should:
• treat all candidates equally
• comply with the Council’s policy on the recruitment of ex-
offenders (see appendix)
• ensure that all selection requirements and techniques are
related specifically to the person specification
• ensure that selection panels are representative, ideally
containing a woman and an employee from an ethnic minority;
they should consist of a minimum of two people and a maximum
of four. All panel members must have received training in
recruitment and selection skills and should be consistent
throughout the process. If the panel is reduced to one person,
the process should be stopped and restarted with a
reconstituted panel
• use skills tests only to measure job criteria and make sure they
are valid, fair, reliable and unbiased
• ensure that psychometric tests are administered and interpreted
3
by trained assessors
• seek references, to check suitability for appointment, from
internal and external candidates, ensuring confidentiality is
respected when requested by referees
• give a valid reason for rejection to unsuccessful candidates if
requested.
3. REDEPLOYMENT
The Council has responsibilities towards its existing employees who
for various reasons, such as to adapt to a disability or, for the
avoidance of redundancy, need to be considered for a job move.
These employees will normally have priority consideration for
suitable vacancies, and this should take place before the advertising
process is started.
Recruitment & Selection Standards - January 2004
Appendix 1
POLICY ON THE RECRUITMENT OF EX-OFFENDERS
1.
Equal Opportunities Policy Statement
1.1 Tower Hamlets Council’s policy towards the recruitment of ex-
offenders should be read in the context of the Council’s statement
on equal opportunities, which makes explicit the following
commitment:
‘to opposing all forms of discrimination - individual and institutional,
direct and indirect. It will actively oppose discrimination carried out
on the grounds of gender, colour, ethnicity or national origin,
religion, disability, social background, HIV status, responsibilities as
a carer, age, marital status, sexual orientation, people with spent
convictions or any other disadvantaged groups.’
1.2
Tower Hamlets Council wish to make it clear that having a criminal
record will not necessarily bar anyone from working for them. This
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decision will depend upon the nature of the post, and the
circumstances and background of the offence(s).
2.
Recruitment of ex-offenders
2.1 Tower Hamlets is committed to the fair treatment of its staff and
potential staff. As an organisation using the Criminal Records
Bureau (CRB) ‘Disclosure’ service to assess applicants' suitability for
positions of trust, Tower Hamlets complies fully with the CRB Code
of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for posts fairly.
2.2 The Council undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any
subject of a Disclosure on the basis of conviction or other
information revealed.
2.4
A Disclosure will only be requested after a thorough risk
assessment has indicated that one is both proportionate and
relevant to the post concerned. For a post where a Disclosure is
required, all application forms, advertisements and recruitment
information will contain a statement that a disclosure will be
requested in the event of the individual being offered the post.
2.5 Where a Disclosure is to form part of the recruitment process, all
applicants called for interview are encouraged to provide their
criminal record at an early stage in the process. This information
should be sent under separate, confidential cover to
[a designated
person with Tower Hamlets Council], who guarantees that this
information is only seen by those who need to see it as part of the
recruitment process.
2.6 Unless the nature of the post allows the Council to ask questions
about candidates’ entire criminal record, only questions about
Recruitment & Selection Standards - January 2004
“unspent” convictions, as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders
Act 1974, will be asked.
2.7 The Council undertakes that all staff involved in recruitment and
selection will be trained appropriately. They will also be made
aware of relevant legislation pertaining to the employment of ex-
offenders.
2.8 At interview, or in a separate discussion, opportunities will be
pursued to ensure that all necessary evidence is collected upon
5
which selection decisions can be fairly based. This will include the
relevance and circumstances of offences.
2.9 Failure to reveal information which is directly relevant to the post
will lead to a subsequent withdrawal of any offer of employment.
2.10 Tower Hamlets Council makes every subject of a CRB Disclosure
aware of the existence of the CRB Code of Practice and will make a
copy available on request.
2.11 The Council will undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a
Disclosure with the person seeking the post before any decision is
made to withdraw a conditional offer of employment on the basis of
the Disclosure.
Recruitment & Selection Standards - January 2004
